Chase the Nightmares Away
by ItsMadness
Summary: A young Thor has vivid nightmares, and Loki just doesn't have the heart to turn him away. Fluff, Pre-Thor, Oneshot.


******DISCLAIMER****: I do not own Thor, or any characters/situations within. No money is being made from the fan-written work of fiction.**

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The flames burned fiercely in the hearth, the potent scent of woodsmoke permeating the air. Heavy curtains were pulled aside, allowing a gentle breeze from the balcony to drift into the bed chamber, combating the stifling heat of the fire. The faintest smell of rain hung in the air, and off in the distance the sound of waves could be heard. A bed- much too large for the child inside- stood proudly on one end of the room, cloudy blue drapes hiding the warm body laying atop silk sheets.

A mop of golden hair, ruffled in disarray, peeked out from underneath thick covers tangled about splayed limbs and bunched together in places. An arm stretched outwards, joining a small foot in the search for a cool spot on the sheets. Shoulders rose in a hitched breath from under the blankets, and the boy underneath abruptly turned onto his side, hassling the sheets further.

His eyebrows scrunched together and a grimace tugged at his mouth, making his upper lip curl. The lightest dusting of freckles peppered the bridge of his nose and cheeks, nearly invisible were it not for the unnaturally pale hue of his skin, which ought to be lightly tanned. Blue eyes danced beneath closed lids in a frenzy, and a muffled noise of distress escaped the boy's throat. He tossed again, face burying itself in the sheets, far from where his pillows rested. Fingers clenched around the blankets briefly before his legs kicked them entirely off the edge of the feather and wool mattress. He shuddered, limbs jerking unconsciously as he was pulled further into the darkness of his nightmare.

_"Loki!" Thor shouted, distressed tears rolling down his dust-smeared cheeks as another explosion wracked the walls of the palace. He gave a hitched sob, stumbling as fast as he could towards his brother's chambers. Around him he saw the fallen forms of guards and servants alike, possessing wounds that became steadily more horrifying the longer he ran. He could hear screaming behind him, a shout which sounded remarkably similar to Sif's, before it cut off completely. _

_Thor cried, but continued to run, over-whelmed with the need to find his brother. He heard the clang of Odin's spear in another hall, his battle roars echoing through the gilded corridors. His mother was calling his name, much farther away, but he only dimly registered her voice through the mind-numbing terror working its' way through his chest._

_"B-brother? Loki, please-!" He stumbled over an unmoving form, but couldn't make himself look down to see who it is. All that mattered in his mind was finding his brother, making sure he was safe..._

_Loki's door was ajar when Thor reached it, hanging by one remaining hinge. Thor hurried inside, and found the room well-lit by fire._

_Raging flames consumed the furniture, destroying Loki's belongings and books. Thor could hardly see through the thick smoke, but he heard Loki's loud, panicked breaths and ragged cries of fear well enough. Ignoring the horror and dread in the pit of his stomach, Thor payed little mind to the fire that licked at his clothing, tripping as fast as he could towards his brother's form- silhouetted by smoke._

_When he moved close enough, Thor saw that the flames were Loki's doing. Fire shot from his brother's palms, strong in spite of the terror playing across his face. Thor gaped fearfully as he saw three massive Jötnar converging on his brother, paying little heed to the flames that scorched their azure hide._

_Thor could hardly draw breath to warn Loki as one of the frost giants reached out with a large hand, black nails scraping Loki's skin while thick fingers clenched around the boy's throat. Loki whimpered, his green eyes darting to Thor's in fear as the giant lifted him off the ground to where the smoke was thickest, and Thor wasn't sure if the pressure around Loki's throat or the black clouds would kill him first._

_"No- NO! GET OFF HIM!" Thor choked in a shout, charging towards the Jötunn holding his brother. He clawed and punched ineffectively against the giant's legs- for that was all he could reach- sobbing angry tears. Another giant roared, grabbing Thor's dusty hair in a painful grip, lifting him entirely off the floor. _

_Thor kicked and shouted, ignoring the way his hair tore painfully from his scalp with every motion. He heard Loki cough and splutter, feeling his own limbs weakening as the oxygen was rapidly choked from the room in the fire. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Loki fall limp, and heard someone scream- _

Thor gasped, sitting bolt upright in his bed. His eyes darted about wildly, landing on the fire in the hearth with slight alarm- half-expecting the flames to leap out and consume his room. His heart thudded painfully against his ribs, shoulders rising and falling in panicked breaths as he fought against the last dregs of terror that remained from his dream. Thor shuddered, scrambling out of his large bed and onto the floor.

Not for the first time did he regret agreeing to separating his and Loki's chambers. They were much too old to be sharing, and more often than not they drove each other mad, being in such close quarters. Loki was always badgering Thor about being neat, about not touching his books, about hating how Thor left the fire lit at night so the room remained stifling until morning. Thor, for his part, hated how Loki took forever to fall asleep, reading or practicing his spells for several hours after bed time until his eyes could shut long enough to rest.

Overall, it had been a wise idea to split the brothers into separate quarters. But some nights, like that night, Thor found he missed his brother's comforting presence. Loki's gentle snores and sleepy mumbles had a way of soothing Thor after a bad dream, and often even prevented them completely. But no longer, with the siblings in different chambers.

He grabbed his blanket from where he'd kicked it onto the floor, shuffling quietly towards the door. He was shaking terribly from the dream, wracked by shivers brought on by something other than temperature. He felt dizzy, disoriented; flashes of his dream breaking into his thoughts and making him shudder. He needed Loki, needed to make sure that it really _had_ been a dream...

Braziers were lit outside in the corridor, illuminating the tall, still forms of the night guards set to protect the entrances to the royal chambers. He could feel their eyes on him as he shuffled out of his room, but he didn't care. They wouldn't stop him, or tell his parents unless he was up to something devious. Thor padded down the hall, scarcely needing to look to see where Loki's chambers rested. They hadn't been separated for long, but Thor knew the location well.

He nudged open Loki's door, peeking into the dark room. The temperature inside was mild, cool like the night air outside. Not like Thor's room, toasty from the fire he always left burning. It was also dark, but the drapes were parted, allowing a sliver of starlight to illuminate his brother's chambers.

He shuffled towards Loki's bed, nudging the curtains aside. His brother liked to sleep on his stomach, both hands tucked underneath his pillows and the sheets lying across his hips. Thor reached across the mattress, giving the slumbering boy a gentle prod on the shoulder.

"Loki?" he whispered, retracting his hand.

He heard his brother's breathing hitch, eyes glazed with fatigue as they peeked open. His brother was an extremely light sleeper, and Thor's finger jab had been enough to rouse him.

"...Thor?" Loki lifted his head and squinted in the darkness, able to just barely make out Thor's tousled form standing by the edge of his bed. "Whassit-?"

The light-haired boy blinked, and as Loki's eyes adjusted he could see the redness around Thor's blue orbs.

"Will... will you allow me to sleep in here tonight?" the elder brother whispered, his voice slightly rough. "Please? I... there was a nightmare, and-" he trailed off, stopped by the sudden lump in his throat.

Loki allowed his head to drop down onto the pillow with a tired groan, sluggishly lifting up the covers in acquiescence. He felt rather than saw Thor climb onto the mattress, throwing his own blanket on top of him. The young thunderer scooted towards his brother, bumping their shoulders together as he got comfortable. By the time Thor had finished adjusting his position, Loki was nearly asleep once more.

"Thank you, brother," Thor whispered, tucking his head beside Loki's on the large pillow. The small trickster sighed and offered a sleepy nod. When Thor was sure Loki had fallen entirely unconscious once more, he found Loki's small hand under the pillow and held it in his own. He was lured into a dreamless sleep by the steady feeling of his younger brother's heartbeat in his fingers and the quiet whisper of his breathing; Loki's presence chasing his nightmares away.

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**A/N: This little oneshot would not leave me alone until I wrote it. Hopefully it wasn't too cliché or whatever. Review?  
**


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